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Observation series – #1

I went to the pediatrician’s office with N, today. While we were waiting, a ten year old boy came to the clinic with his mom. He had a school uniform on, which made me think that he was sent home because he was feeling sick. His mom made him fill up his assessment sheet, himself. An example question was “Does your child have anxiety attacks?” The mother (Indian origin, of course) was dutifully explaining it to her child what anxiety means, and how he does not suffer from the same. Just looking at the discussion made me anxious. The questions were in second person, addressed to a parent to answer about their child. So I have no idea why the mother thought it was necessary for the child to fill out the questionnaire.

It seems to me that people in CA are much more inclined to stuffing information into their kids. I feel they want to push them beyond their years. Is it due to the competition here? Is it good? Is it bad? I don’t know the answer to these questions. I sincerely hope that I do not become the kind of parent, who pushes her child to stay abreast of competition all the time (for example at a doctor’s office at the time of a sick visit). All I hope is for N to remember her childhood with fondness, when she grows up.